httpd-dev mailing list archives

On Fri, 8 May 1998, Jim Jagielski wrote:
> > I'm not sure where it changed, or where the odd idea of adding
> > a new directive to let people add to the server string
> > from their config files came in.
> >
>
> Now that SERVER_SUBVERSION does nothing, the idea was that we needed
> some way for the webmaster to add that capability without editing
> code. Hence the config directive.
Why not just leave SERVER_SUBVERSION the way it was before (different
implementation, same semantics) and let pepole use it if they really need
to change something?
I can think of very very very very few cases where it is appropriate for
someone to use a directive to change the server string. Having a
directive to do it encourages people who think they are cool guys to
change it for no reason.
The only reason I can see for the admin of the server to explicitly add
something is if they have a munged server that they want to identify. If
they have that, then they must have source changes anyway so one more line
identifying their changes in the code wouldn't hurt.
I just don't think it is wise to encourage dumb modifications without.